Reclining chair

ABSTRACT

A reclining chair having a one-way locking means; the locking means being carried on the movable chair portion and not being dependent on cooperating means on the stationary chair frame.

United States Patent Flanagan et a1.

RECLINING CHAIR Inventors: Joseph. P. Flanagan, 23 Maple St.,

Broadalbin, N.Y. 12025; Allan H. Crawford, 72 Evelyn Ave., Amsterdam,NY. 12010 Filed: Dec. 16, 1969 App]. No.: 885,446

US. Cl. ..297/85, 297/DlG. 7, 297/317 Int. Cl ..A47c 1/02 Field ofSearch..297/85, 271, 69,88, 89, 83,

Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerGarry MooreAttorney-Joseph P. Flanagan [57] ABSTRACT A reclining chair having aone-way locking means; the locking means being carried on the movablechair portion and not being dependent on cooperating means on thestationary chair frame.

PATENIED raa I I972 SHEET 2 [IF 4 INVENTORS ."JOSEPH P. FLANAGAN ALLANH. CRAWFORD FIG-3' ALLAN CRAWFORD PATENIEDFEB H972 3.638.995

B ALLAN H.CRAWFORD RECLINING CHAIR The present invention relates toreclining chairs and more particularly to reclining chairs of the rockerrecliner type wherein a chair frame carries a seat and back assembly formovement thereon and relative thereto, the seat and back carryirig chairframe assembly in turn being carried on a floorsupported platform forrocking movement thereon.

Chairs of this type are traditionally constructed so that the chair iscapable of various modes of operation, that is to say, the chair may berocked to and fro in the manner of a conventional platform rocker aswell as being reclined to various positions wherein the occupant ofthechair may cause the seat and back assembly to move relative to thechair frame in such a manner that the chair assumes a rearwardly tiltedor reclined position.

'Additionally, at times chairs of this type are capable of other modesof operation wherein both reclining and rocking movements are combined.For example, the chair may be first reclined, as above described andthen the entire assembly rocked rearwardly.

When the chair is reclined it is found to be desirable that the forwardrocking movement of the chair be precluded to prevent the situationwhereby the chair may rock forward causing discomfort to the occupantwhen the chair is in a reclining position. To accomplish the desiredresults of blocking forward rocking of a chair that has been bothrearwardly rocked and reclined various prior art devices are available.These prior art devices, notwithstanding the fact some of them are quiteeffective, depend for their operation on proper alignment between thechair frame and the base sincethe rocker blocking mechanisms comprisecooperative structure carried on both the base and the chair. As will beappreciated, should the chair loosen up in such a manner that the chairframe and the base be out of alignment, the base and chair framecooperating structure may bind, or otherwise be rendered lesssatisfactory in operation.

To overcome this possibility, the present invention is directed to arocker blocking mechanism wherein the entire blocking assembly iscarried on the chair frame. By that it is meant that there is nocooperation between chair frame and base carried structure insofar asthe blocking mechanism is concerned and, even though the chair frame maybe twisted or otherwise disaligned relative to the base, the blockingstructure will continue to function without binding or other impairment.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is the provision of arocker recliner chair having means to block rocking of the chair whenthe chair is in a reclined position, wherein the rocker blockingmechanism comprises means carried in the chair frame which means do notdepend for their operation on cooperative structure carried on the basestructure.

This primary object as well as other objects and advantages of theinvention will become more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a chair showing the present invention, thechair being shown in upright position and neither rocked nor reclined,the blocking mechanism disengaged.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the chair in a rearwardlyrocked position, the blocker mechanism being disengaged.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the chair in FIG. 1 positionbut with the blocker mechanism engaged.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the chair in a rocked andreclined position with the blocker mechanism engaged.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, as is conventional there is shown the blockermechanism together with the link structure carried on one side of thechair, the side shown being the right side of the chair, that is theside which would normally be on the right side of an occupant sitting inthe chair, it being understood that a similar linkage structure iscarried on the left side of the chair.

In FIG. 1, a base assembly indicated by the arrow 12 rests on the floor14. The base assembly 12 comprises a pair of side members 15, 16 joinedtogether by transverse connecting members 18, 19. Carried on the siderails 15, 16 for rocking movement are rocker cams 21, 22, respectively,which rocker cams support a chair assembly 27 and are operativelyconnected to the side rails 15, 16 by means of rocker springs 25, all aswell known in the art.

The chair frame assembly indicated by the arrow 27, comprises a pair ofside frame members 29, 30 joined together by transverse, frame members33-36 to provide a rigid frame on which the footrest 44, seat and backassembly are carried. Considering now the right side structure shown inFIGS. 1 and 4; affixed to the side frame member 29 is a main mountingbracket 40 which is secured to the frame member 29 by means of screws orthe like 41. The bracket 40 carries a footrest 44, seat 45, and backassembly 46. The footrest assembly 44 is supported on the main bracket40 by means of two supporting links 49 and 50 which are pivoted to thebracket 40 on pivots 52, 53 respectively. The footrest supporting link50 is operatively connected to a shaft 54 by means of a footrestactuating link 57. The actuating link 57 is pivoted at one of its endsto the supporting link 50 and its other end to a drive sector 59 looselycarried on the shaft 54. The drive sector 59 is coupled to a lost motioncam 61 fixed on the shaft 54, the cams arrangement being such that uponrotational of movement of the shaft 54 the cam 61, being fixed theretois positively driven and, through a pin and slot connection between thesector 59 and cam 61, will pick up the sector causing it to rotate inthe direction of the rotation of the shaft 54 to move the footrestactuating link 57 in a generally forwardly or rearwardly direction toextend or retract the footrest. The shaft 54 may be rotated manually bemeans of a handle 64, pinned or otherwise fixed to such shaft, at oneside of the chair.

The footrest may be moved from its nested position of FIG. 1 to itsextended position of FIG. 3 independently of reclining or rockingmovement of the chair. In order to extend the footrest, an occupantseated in the chair merely grasps the handle 64 and rotates itrearwardly which in turn causes the footrest to move outwardly toextended position, while rotation of the handle forwardly will cause thefootrest to collapse.

The seat assembly 45 comprises a seat mounting bracket 70 which issupported on the main mounting bracket 40 by means of a forward carrierlink 71 and a rear carrier link 72, each of which links are pivotallyconnected to the main mounting bracket 40 and the seat bracket 70. Theforward carrier link 71, it willbe noted, carries a stop 73 intermediateits ends, which stop member 73 lies in close proximity to an indentationformed in the footrest supporting link 50, the arrangement being suchthat the stop member 73 will normally block any counterclockwiserotation of the forward carrier link 71 until the footrest supportinglink 50 is moved clockwise sufficiently to remove the stop from blockingrelationship as hereinafter described.

The backrest assembly 46 comprises a linkage assembly operativelypivotively connected between the seat mounting bracket70 and the sideframe number 29. This linkage includes a backrest link 76 connected atits lower end to the side frame number 29 and to its upper end to abracket 78, which bracket is, in turn, fastened to the side frame number29. Pivoted to the upper end of the link 76 is a backrest supportinglink 80 which extends downwardly and forwardly and which, at its lowerend, is pivotally connected to a backrest carrier link 83. The backrestcarrier link 83, is, in turn, pivotally connected to the seat mountingbracket 70. Any suitable upholstered seat or back may be carried on themembers 70 and 80 to support the body of an occupant seated therein.

The forward carrier link 71 and the rear carrier link 72 are supportedin there at rest position of FIG. 1 by means of a pair of stops as nowdescribed.

A stop member 71a carried on the bracket 40 provides support for theforward carrier link 71 while the rear carrier link 72 is supported,indirectly, on a stop member 75b carried on the bracket 40, which stopmember 75b engages the upper end of a slot formed in a slotted link 75pivoted to the aforementioned rear carrier link 72.

Reclinging movement of the chair may be accomplished as now described.First, the footrest is extended by rotating the handle to remove thefootrest supporting link from the area of travel of the stop 73. Oncethe path of the stop is cleared the occupant may recline the chair bymerely grasping the arms of the chair and exerting rearward pressure onthe back 86. Such action will cause the link 80 to rotate in a clockwisedirection about its pivoted connection with the link 76, thus moving thelower forward end of the back mounting link 80 in a forwardly andupwardly direction. The link 80 will thus tend to pull the backrestcarrier link 83 upwardly and forwardly to move the seat carrier link 70in a similar direction. Such movement will continue uninterrupted untilmovement of the slotted link 75 is arrested by engagement of the end 75aof the slot with the pin 75b, whereupon the chair is positioned in areclined state.

If the chair has been reclined, it is possible to then rock the chairrearwardly and lock it in such rearwardly rocked position. This isaccomplished by means of a blocking means hereinafter described.

Carried on a transverse frame member 34 are a pair of downwardlyextending angled bracket members 101, 102 which members may be securedto the frame member 34 by means of screws 105 or the like. Pivotallycarried on the downwardly extending portions of the members 101, 102 ona pin 105:: are a pair of carrier links 108, 109, which carrier linksextend rearwardly and downwardly from the brackets 101, 102. Thesecarrier links support a ratchet and pawl assembly, the ratchet 110 beingpivotally supported by the carrier links on a pivot member 114 carriedby the lower ends of the carrier links 108, 109. The ratchet 110 isbiased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring member 116 whichpasses above the forwardly extending arm of the ratchet member 110 andthence, on each side ofthe ratchet member extending in a rearwardlydirection thence around the pivot member 114, then in a forwardlydirection where the ends of the spring member 116 cup the lower edges ofthe carrier links 108, 109. The rachet member 110 has a plurality ofteeth 120 formed along a portion of one ofits edges. There is alsocarried, on the carrier links 108, 109, on a pin member 122 extendingtherethrough a pawl 125. The pawl 125 is free to rotate on the pin 122and is spring biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring member125a connected between the pawl 125 and a pin 125b carried on thecarrier links 108, 109. Attached to the upper end 126 ofthe pawl 125 isa chain 128 which, in turn, is connected to a bracket 129 secured to theaforementioned shaft 54.

The ratchet member 110, at its forward end carries a foot member 110b,the foot member resting on the floor 14.

The blocking mechanism just described is shown in its inoperative ornonblocking position in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein it will be observed thatno contact is made between the ratchet 110 and pawl 125. In FIG. 1 thechair is at rest while in FIG. 2 the chair is in a rearwardly rockedposition, and it will be appreciated from an examination ofthese figuresthat the chair is free to rock to and fro without the ratchet 110 orpawl 125 interferring with each other.

Whenever it is desired to lock the chair against forward rockingmovement the occupant of the chair need merely rotate the handle 64 in aclockwise direction, FIGS. 1 and 2 to thus rotate the shaft 54 in asimilar direction and slack the tension on the chain 128, to allow thepawl 125 to be urged counterclockwise under action of the spring 1250.Such action allows the pawl to move into engagement with the teeth 120of the ratchet 110. Since the teeth 120 are .inclined upwardly, anyattempt to rock the chair forwardly will cause the pawl to wardly aswell as reclined.

The foot member 11% carried at the forward end of the ratchet may carrya keeper element 134 to prevent unwanted counterclockwise rotation ofthe ratchet should the chair be lifted from the floor when, for example,the chair is moved about. It will be appreciated that when the chair isin position on the floor, counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet isprecluded by the blocking action of the floor 14 against the foot member11%, but when the chair is raised off the floor such blocking action isunavailable; thus, when the chair is lifted the spring member 116 maycause the ratchet to rotate counterclockwise.

As one form keeper mechanism there may be secured to the base crossmember 18 and apertured member 134 having an aperture of a diameter lessthan the diameter of the pads 135, 135a formed on the foot member 11%.Thus, whenever the chair is lifted from the floor, as the base 12 islifted it will carry with it the apertured member 134 which, in turn,will engage the pad 135a to lift the ratchet 110.

From the above description it will be observed that the instantinvention provides a rocker recliner chair having oneway locking meansto preclude forward rocking movement of the chair when such is desiredby means of a locking means comprised of structure carried on themoveable chair assembly and not dependent for its locking on cooperationof any base carried structure mounted in fixed relation to the rockingchair, thus should the rocking frame assembly become twisted orotherwise disaligned in relation to the base the cooperative ratchet andpawl structure will move as a unit and function properly regardless ofthe relative alignment of the chair and its platform.

Although a preferred embodiment of the instant invention has beendescribed herein, it will be appreciated that a wide latitude ofmodification, substitution, and change is intended in the foregoing.Further, instances may arise wherein some features of the invention maybe employed although other features will not be used. Thus, it isappropriate and intended that the appended claims be broadly construedkeeping in mind the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a reclining-rocker chair the combination ofa platform a chairframe carried on said platform for rocking movement relative thereto,locking means supported by said chair frame for movement from aninoperative position to block rocking movement of said chair framerelative to said platform, said locking means comprising carrier linkmeans carried on said movable chair frame and movable with said chairframe during rocking movement thereof, a ratchet member and a pawlmember both pivotally mounted on said carrier link means, said ratchetmember extending into bearing contact with a floor surface supportingsaid base and engageable by said pawlto block said rocking movement.

2. The invention of claim 1 including a movable footrest assemblysupported on said chair frame, means operable to move said footrest toextended position and simultaneously activate lock means to lock saidchair frame against said rocking movement relative to said base.

3. The invention of claim 2 including first and second spring means,said first spring means interconnected between said carrier link meansand said ratchet to bias said ratchet towards bearing contact with saidfloor, said second spring means interconnected between said pawl andsaid carrier link means to bias said pawl toward bearing contact withsaid ratchet.

4. The invention of claim 3 including flexible connecting meansinterconnected between said pawl and said means for moving saidfootrest.

* a: at

1. In a reclining-rocker chair the combination of a platform a chairframe carried on said platform for rocking movement relative thereto,locking means supported by said chair frame for movement from aninoperative position to block rocking movement of said chair framerelative to said platform, said locking means comprising carrier linkmeans carried on said movable chair frame and movable with said chairframe during rocking movement thereof, a ratchEt member and a pawlmember both pivotally mounted on said carrier link means, said ratchetmember extending into bearing contact with a floor surface supportingsaid base and engageable by said pawlto block said rocking movement. 2.The invention of claim 1 including a movable footrest assembly supportedon said chair frame, means operable to move said footrest to extendedposition and simultaneously activate lock means to lock said chair frameagainst said rocking movement relative to said base.
 3. The invention ofclaim 2 including first and second spring means, said first spring meansinterconnected between said carrier link means and said ratchet to biassaid ratchet towards bearing contact with said floor, said second springmeans interconnected between said pawl and said carrier link means tobias said pawl toward bearing contact with said ratchet.
 4. Theinvention of claim 3 including flexible connecting means interconnectedbetween said pawl and said means for moving said footrest.